Container and closure therefor



March 30, 1948. A. J. WILLIAMS EI'AL CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Shut Filed Feb. 8; 1946 I vvcnnorp March 30, 1948. A. J. WILLIAMS Emu. 2,433,689

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR V Filed Feb. 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Mar. 30, 1948 2,438,689 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE 'rnnnsron Arthur John Williams, Poole, and William Johnston Dyson, Bournemouth, England, assignora of one-third to The Wallis Tin Stamping Company Limited, Poole, England, a British com- Application February 8, 1946, Serial No. 646,292 In Great Britain January 22, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires January 22, 1965 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-38) 1 This invention is for improvements in or relating to containers and closures therefor.

The invention is concerned with closures of the I Phoenix type, namely the type in which an inner flanged metal cap closes the mouth of the container and reaches down around the outside thereof, being held in position by a removable metal band, the edges of which are turned over onto the top of the cap and under a flange on the container. To render the inner cap suitable for re-sealing the container after say a portion of its contents has been removed, various proposals have been made involving the provision of lugs on the cap and alterations to the flange on the container. The present invention has for one of its objects to provide a re-sealable inner cap which saves metal and produces a satisfactory and neat closure.

According to the primary feature of the invention there are provided a container and closure of the type described which are characterised in that the flange on the container is circumferentially grooved between its lower edge and the top of the container, and in that the flange on the inner cap is provided with extensions each reaching around a substantial part of the circumference of the flange with its lower edge inwardly directed to clip into said groove, and hold the cap in sealing position. Thus although the outer band has been destroyed in removal, the inner cap can readily be used for re-sealing, the extensions being sprung into the groove.

Conveniently the inner cap has two of the said extensions which are diametrically opposed and each reaches around about one quarter of the circumference of the flange. This construction will be found to impart adequate retentive action to the extensions without involving the use of much metal, Metal is also economised if, as is preferred, the extensions are each composed of a single thickness of metal slightly less in depth than the depth of the remainder of the flange and slightly inclined inwardly without being curled. The extensions may have rounded lower corners.

According to another feature of the invention, the groove in the container is interrupted to provide an abutment, which will be engaged by the cap extensions when the latter are in the groove, if the cap is rotated. The purpose of this abutment is to enable the cap to be readily removed merely by rotating it, the abutment serving towedge out of the groove the extension which enages it. So as not to interfere with the easy assembly of the cap on the container initially, it is preferred that there shall be only a single circumferentially small interruption in the groove. For instance in a groove 5 /2 inches in circumference the abutment may occupy only about 1% of an inch of that circumference. In some cases, however, instead of having the interruption circumferentially small it may be larger, say about one quarter of the circumference. This enables the cap to be removed more easily, but entails more care in securing it in place, The walls of the interruption may diverge as they merge into the base of the groove to provide wedging surfaces for engagement by the corners of the cap extensions.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, there will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, certain constructions of container and closure according to the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth.

In these drawings:

Figure l-is an elevation of the upper part of one form of container according to the invention, with the closure in place thereon, the closure being shown mainly in section,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with part of the closure broken away and other parts shown in outside elevation,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure '4 is a partial view corresponding to Figure 3, but with the outer band of the closure removed and the metal cap in the course of removal,

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, but viewed from a point around the circumference of the assembly from the view point of Figure 1 and with the outer band of the closure removed and the metal cap in the course of removal,

Figure 6 is a composite view, partly in section, showing separately the upper part of another form of container according to the invention, and the two parts of the closure before the closure is secured in place, and

Figure 7 is a section through the container on the line 'l-I of Figure 6.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring flrstly to Figures 1 to 5, the container in has a flange l1, l2 around its mouth, the two parts of the flange being separated by a groove l3 which is a plain annulus, i. e. is not helical. The lower edge of the flange part II has a corner which is almost square, usually being about 110. A Phoenix closure is shown, consisting of an inner metal cap M with a fluted flange l5, and a removable band I 8, one end of which is slipped through a slit in the other end and turned back to secure the band in place. The edges of the band It are turned over on to the top of the cap I4 and under the said almost square corner of the flange part ll, the latter operation being carried out after the closure has beenplaced in position on the container. The cap I; has a sealing washer or cushion ll inside it. When the container is flrst opened, the band [6 is, as usual, removed and discarded, but the cap l4, according to the present invention, can be readily and efficiently used for re-sealing purposes. Its flange l5 has two diametrically opposite extensions i8 each extending around a substantial part of the circumference (say about one quarter as shown in the drawings). The extensions iii are slightly less in depththan the flange from which they extend, and each is only a single thickness of metal slightly inclined inwardly without being curled into a bead. The lower ends of the extensions spring into the groove i3 in the container and have sufllcient retentive action to hold the cap in sealing position. The lower edges of the extensions l8 may, if the flange i2 is about 5 inches in outside diameter, be set at a diameter about 1 5' of an inch less than the diameter of the said flange,

The overall diameter of the flange part II on the container is sufilciently larger than the overall diameter of the flange part l2 so that the band I6 shall be an equally close flt on the cap flange l5 and the container flange part- II. The continuity of the groove I3 is interrupted by a circumferentially very small abutment [9 having sloping sides 20. If the flange II is about 5 inches in outside diameter, the abutment l9 may be about a: of an inch at the surface, Widening to about of an inch at the base of the groove. It extends completely across the latter. The sloping sides 20 provide wedging surfaces to be engaged by th rounded corners 2| of the cap extensions iii, if the cap is rotated when the extensions are in the groove l3. Thus the cap can be readily removed, merely by rotating it, the procedure being shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. In Figure 3, the cap is in sealing position with its extensions l8 clear of the abutment i9. In Figure 4, the cap is shown as having been rotated in the direction of the arrow, causing the rounded corner 2l of one of the cap extensions 18 to encounter and ride outside thev abutment l9. The metal of the cap will afford sufllcient spring to accommodate this without taking a permanent set. The cap can then be lifted away, as shown in chain lines in Figure 5, turning as on a hinge about the other cap extension 18. The

single abutment l9, being circumferentially small, will not be likely to interfere with the in-- itial assembly of the closure on the container,

even if this is eflected by a machine, as the gaps between the extensions l8, which in the construction shown total about one half of the circumference, will ailord ample circumferential scope for the extensions to avoid-the abutment in the assembly operatiom Re-sealing by hand will, of course, be very easy as the user merely has to bring a gap between the cap extensions l8 opposite to the abutment l9 and press the cap home.

In some cases, the interruption in the groove l3 may be larger than is shown in Figures 1 to 5.

For instance in Figures Band 7, the interruption 23 is about one quarter of the circumference. This enables the cap to be removed more easily, but entails more care in securing it inplace.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted-to theprecise constructional details set forth. 1

We claim:

1, The combination of a container having an external flange around its mouth, which flange is circumferentially-grooved between its lower edge and the top of the container, which groove is interrupted to provide a single abutment, of a two-part closure comprising an inner flanged metal cap to close the mouth of the container and reach down around the outside thereof,

which cap flange is provided with two diametriexternal flange around its mouth, which flange is circumferentially grooved between its lower edge and the top of the container, which groove is interrupted to provide a single circumferentially small abutment, of a two-part closure comprising an inner flanged metal cap to close the mouth of the container and reach down around the outside thereof, which cap flange is provided with two diametrically opposite extensions-each reaching around about one-quarter of the circumference of the flange with its lower edge inwardly directed to clip into the groove in the container flange and hold the cap in sealing position and also to engage the said abutment when the extensions are in the groove, ifthe cap is rotated, and a removable metal band the edges of which are turned over on to the top of the said cap and under the flange on the container.

3. The combination of a container having an external flange around its mouth, which flange is circumferentially grooved between its lower edge and the top of the container, which groove is interrupted, to providea single abutment, or a twopart closure comprising an inner flanged metal cap to close the mouth of the container andreach down around the outside thereof, which cap:

flange is provided with two diametrically opposite extensions each reaching aroundabout onequarter of the circumference of the flange with its lower edge inwardly directed, without being for engagement by corners of Emmi. m ST P which corners are rounded. Number Name m ARTHUR JOHN WILLIAMS. wnmAM JOHNSTON DYBON. Shem Sept 4 6 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date The following references are of record in the 289,348 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1928 me or this patent: 414 Australia Jan. 28, 1931 

